I mocked up the exhaust on my L67 swap yesterday and wanted some input from others about ground clearance. As it sits now, I have about 4.5in from the bottom of the muffler to the ground; the muffler is about 1.5in lower than the cradle behind it. When I was creating the downpipe section I thought I had left enough room for the muffler to sit higher, but it’s a bit lower than expected. I have coilovers on the rear of the car and don’t plan on lowering it much further than it is now.
My question is how low does the exhaust hang on your swap? (doesn’t matter what engine) Also, how much ground clearance do you have on your Fiero in general? I’m worried that I may run into issues of scraping with how it sits now. See below for pictures.
I'm still getting used to how much of the muffler you can see. I was hoping to avoid cutting the trunk, but I may change my mind so I can angle the muffler a bit higher. Regardless, I'd still like your input on ground clearance. See the link in my sig for more details on my setup.
I probably have less than 4" on the entire underside of my Fiero floor. It would be a PITA to re-route all that completed work you got there. As long as you don't back up to curbs, run unknown objects over and watch out for high speed bumps it should be fine.
Having your exhaust below the cradle is not a good idea. If you go over something it is way too late when you hear the "bang" and the subsequent roar.
I think you need to re-think your routing. Thank God for stainless band clamps eh?
Arn
Very true, I'd rather not have to worry about the muffler getting ripped off. This weekend I'll look into cutting the trunk to tuck the muffler up more. The band clamps are great, they made putting things together much easier!
I probably have less than 4" on the entire underside of my Fiero floor. It would be a PITA to re-route all that completed work you got there. As long as you don't back up to curbs, run unknown objects over and watch out for high speed bumps it should be fine.
How long have you had it that low? Do you ever run into problems bottoming out? It seems like that would be an issue being that low.
In the 70's I had a Datsun 510. It had a slotted and dropped Mulholland suspension. It had a clearance of 2.5".
That was inconvenient. You had to watch everything including manhole covers.
This is the reason I haven't dropped my own GT. The clearance is very good to have for normal driving.
I think on balance, raising that muffler with mandrell bends is preferable to cutting the trunk. If you cut the trunk and lay it out, it moves the exit ports closer to the rear of the car. This means re-cutting your tips. I'd see if it you can move it up and forward at the top before I'd cut.
I do have mandrel bends for the downpipe section, bought a 3' exhaust donut that I cut in half. The other issue is everything g is welded together, minus the connection to the muffler. If I cut and have the pipe resellers higher I'm not sure how much more clearance it would provide, I think the main issue is the 3' piping that makes the system a bit lower. I'll take a closer look this weekend if anymore room can be had with the downpipe.
The tips should be OK if I do end up cutting the trunk, they aren't welded yet and I have some room to work with before they reach the edge of the bumper.
I wish I had spent a bit more time mocking up the exhaust, but after checking 3 or 4 times I figured I'd be good haha, oops.
If you're" Not going to raise the muffler", At least attach a "Skid Plate" to the crossmember in front of the muffler. at least that way , if you hit something, you will "Slide over it" instead of ripping everything off. just bolt up some 1/8-1/4" plate steel at an angle ending just below the muffler. I think" My" trunks going to get cut, it's not like 4" is going to make much difference in trunk space.
I really wouldn't need to cut too much of the trunk for it to fit, not enough to make a difference, you're right about that. It's looking more and more like this is going to be the easiest option for me at this point.
